Vikings exercise fifth-year option on CB Trae Waynes

One of the league's top pass defenses remains intact for the short term.

The Vikings exercised the fifth-year option on cornerback Trae Waynes, the team announced Monday morning.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Waynes, who was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract, joined the Vikings as a first-round pick (11th overall) out of Michigan State in the 2015 NFL Draft. Waynes will make a tad over $9 million in 2019 with the option. His base salary in 2018 is $2.2 million.

He started all 16 regular-season games for the Vikings this past season, totaling a career-high 72 tackles, while adding two interceptions, 11 passes defensed and two sacks. For his career, Waynes has appeared in 46 games (25 starts) and produced 145 tackles, five interceptions and 35 passes defensed.

With Waynes and All-Pro cornerback Xavier Rhodes patrolling the secondary, the Vikings finished the 2017 season ranked second against the pass (192.4 yards allowed per game).

Minnesota's stout secondary will only get better when considering the arrival of cornerback Mike Hughes, whom the Vikings selected in the first round (30th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.